1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet set apparatus for sealing preparation, for example, for use in manufacturing a photovoltaic module and for preparing for sealing of a photovoltaic portion disposed in a substrate of the photovoltaic module, an output lead wire set apparatus for the sealing preparation, and a sealing preparation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photovoltaic module includes a substrate of an insulating material such as transparent glass, and a transparent electrode layer separated in a plurality of regions is formed on a back surface of the substrate. A photovoltaic semiconductor layer of amorphous silicon or the like formed on the transparent electrode layer is divided into a plurality of regions forming photovoltaic elements. The respective photovoltaic elements are electrically connected in series by the back-surface electrode layer formed on these elements. A positive lead wire and a negative lead wire for collecting power are disposed on a terminal end of the connection. Output lead wires are individually soldered to both the lead wires.
A photovoltaic module in which one-end portions of the positive lead wire and the negative lead wire are used as the output lead wires is described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-286439. This constitution is superior in that the lead wire is not soldered to the output lead wire.
In order to insulate and protect the photovoltaic portion including a plurality of photovoltaic elements, the back surface of the photovoltaic module is sealed.
As preparation for the sealing, various sealing sheets are laminated one by one on the back surface of the substrate in which the photovoltaic portion and lead wire are disposed. These sealing sheets are cut from a sheet wound in a roll shape. In the preparation, the sealing sheet having a wire passing portion is laminated while the output lead wire is passed through the wire passing portion. After all the sealing-sheets are laminated, the output lead wire is bent along the surface of the sealing sheet of an outermost layer, and fixed to the surface of the sealing sheet of the outermost layer with an adhesive tape.
Respective operations such as cutting and laminating of various sealing sheets and passing of the output lead wire through the wire passing portion are manually carried out. Therefore, workability is low, and a sheet dimension and sheet superposing position are easily dispersed. Particularly, in the photovoltaic module in which the one-end portions of the pair of positive and negative lead wires are used as the output lead wires, since the output lead wire needs to be manually bent a plurality of times, productivity is low. Deviations of the sheet dimension and superposing position are sometimes factors for quality degradation of the photovoltaic module. From such circumstances, there is a demand for promotion of automation of a sealing preparation operation in order to enhance productivity and quality of the photovoltaic module.